Michigan State Hosted 2026 In-State 3-Star Running Back at Season Opener
Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith has often spoken about his plan to prioritize recruits from Michigan on the recruiting trail. He believes gathering players from Michigan will help build a solid foundation for the program’s future.
Smith has specialized in recruiting three-star athletes from Michigan and securing their commitment to Michigan State, giving many athletes who may have been overlooked on a national level.
Smith used Michigan State’s first game of the season against Florida Atlantic to make an impression on another Michigan native and a three-star athlete. Izaiah Wright is a three-star running back in the 2026 recruiting class who visited Michigan State for the Spartans’ game against Florida Atlantic.
Wright is one of the best prospects from Michigan in the 2026 recruiting class. According to 247Sports, he is ranked as the 37th-best running back in the 2026 class. Wright is also ranked as the 12th-best overall player in the class from Michigan.
He would undoubtedly be one of the best commitments in Michigan State’s 2026 class of recruits, should he choose to play for Michigan State.
More than 10 schools have offered scholarships to Wright. Aside from Michigan State, those schools include Cincinnati, Indiana, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Smith hopes to keep the talented running back in Michigan and away from one of numerous Big Ten foes.
Since taking over the program, Smith has done a respectable job on the recruiting trail, securing numerous talented athletes from Michigan and elsewhere to join his rebuilding efforts in East Lansing. He has wisely chosen to build Michigan State’s football program around players who are Michigan natives, understanding that playing close to home could be the difference between a player committing to Michigan State and staying for the long haul.
In today’s college football, where players can transfer at will, Smith’s in-state recruiting tactics are a smart move he hopes will pay off for Michigan State in the future. If he can successfully recruit and develop players such as Wright, Michigan State has a legitimate chance of becoming one of the better teams in the Big Ten down the road.
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EZEKIEL TREZEVANT
Ezekiel is a former Sports Editor from the Western Herald and former Atlanta Falcons beat writer.